He Always Comes Back
by C-Nuggets N.L
Summary: Annabeth tries to search for Percy at camp, desperately clinging onto that one hope that the gods haven't taken him. Before The Lost Hero, the day Percy disappears. R&R. One-shot.


**A/N: Here to say that I'm not dead, so don't worry. Er, and I find my excuses way too stupid to be mentioned for my absence… Anyways, I know this won't make it up for you guys, but yeah. But the next chapter of Pirates will be coming soon! Well, here it is! One of those super short, super lame one-shots! **

* * *

><p>That moron headed Seaweed Brain. Where the Hades had he run off to? I couldn't find him anywhere. Arena was checked. Beach was checked. Canoe Lake was checked. I've searched everywhere! I even got Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary to help search, but there was no luck. The last place to look was the Big House, and I've already been looking for him for hours now.<p>

I've been having this funny feeling in my stomach. I knew something was wrong when I went to try and wake Percy up this morning. The only problem about it was that he wasn't in his cabin, much less in his bed. There was no way Percy would've woken up this early. I didn't want to admit it, that something was definitely wrong. We saved the entire western civilization! Wasn't that enough for the gods? The Fates?

Apparently, it wasn't.

I walked up to the porch of the Big House to find Chiron playing Pinochle with Malcolm, which was strange since it was usually Mr. D he played cards with. Once I've reached them, I tried my best not to show worry about Percy.

"Good morning, Annabeth," Chiron greeted with a smile. "Have you finished breakfast yet?"

"'Morning," I said shortly, ignoring his question. Really, I haven't eaten at all. There was no time to. I needed to find Percy and get that good morning's kiss he owed me for winning Capture the Flag the other day. "Where's Mr. D?" But I wanted to ask for Percy instead.

Chiron's smile faltered. He sighed as if he were sad or frustrated, and then furrowed his bushy eyebrows, glaring at his cards. "I was planning to have an announcement at dinner, but I suppose you deserve to know. The gods made him go back. I'm not sure what happened. I tried making contact, but it seems...the gods have gone silent."

I stared. "That's...that's not possible. They can't have! What do you mean by 'gone silent'?" I asked, outraged. However, I knew exactly what it meant. The gods were hiding, but from something. And then it hit me like a brick. Percy must've been involved with this situation.

"Percy," I whispered. This couldn't be happening. Did the gods take Percy away from me? Was it my mother who asked for this? The more I thought about it, the closer the situation came to understanding.

"What's wrong, Annabeth?" Malcolm wondered, his eyes still trained on his cards.

My jaw hung open as I stared at Chiron, processing my thoughts in my head. "Percy's missing," I croaked out a short moment later after I found my voice. "He's gone…" I quietly murmured. Those words tasted bitter on my tongue.

Chiron and Malcolm stopped playing Pinochle for a moment. They paused, looking up from their cards, staring at each other before looking at me, wanting to know what happened.

"I've searched for him everywhere," I said, trying to keep my voice from wavering, but failed. "I couldn't find him." He was gone. Percy was gone. No, I can't think of it like that. It can't be possible. Not Percy. Never Percy. Why Percy? Why can't it have been someone else?

"Malcolm, wake everybody up and order them to meet in the amphitheater. Tell them about the gods and to search for Percy around camp, immediately," Chiron demanded. Something serious was happening, and perhaps and most likely: dangerous.

Malcolm threw down his cards and scrambled off, doing as told. I sat down in the chair he was previously sitting in and let out a shaky breath. After the past couple of months, it felt impossible for him to ever leave my side. I quickly grew onto him like a leech. Without him, I didn't know what to do. But now that he's gone…

"It will be fine," Chiron assured me with a sympathetic look.

I didn't believe it though. Even Apollo didn't make the sun shine as bright this morning. The winds were still. The birds were quiet. Percy being gone wasn't fine. "I'll - I'll go and search for Percy again."

I forced myself to back stand up and I hurriedly took off. I didn't know where my legs were taking me, but soon enough, I ended up standing in front of the Poseidon cabin again, completely out of breath. Tears were threatening to escape as I stared at the wooden building, the scent of the sea breeze washing over my face. I stared at the familiar door knob and nervously played with the hem of my camp shirt.

Swallowing fear of the truth, I pretended that I was only imagining things. I hesitated before I knocked, and kept hoping that Percy really was there and I was just blinded for a moment.

The ache in my heart worsened when sadly, nobody answered. So I bit my lip and reached for the door knob, and twisted it. When I finally opened the door, I peeked in. It was as messy as always. Littered pop cans and clothes scattered across the floor. Acting courageous, I forced myself to step inside.

I expected to find Percy half-awake, sitting on the edge of his bed with a sleepy smile on his face. Or, at least I hoped it.

"Good morning, Wise Girl," he would say, and then give me one of his lopsided grins. "You got a leaf in your hair."

Unfortunately, Percy wasn't there, and I gave my hopes up too high. The room was empty, and it felt dead without Percy's sarcasm and his stupid jokes. All the colour was drained from my surroundings, and I was left standing in the middle of the room, brokenhearted.

Slowly, I crouched down and hugged my knees as tears began to flow out of my eyes unwillingly. No matter how much I kept telling myself to stop acting like a baby, I just cried harder. Reality has completely sunk into me now, and my hopes for Percy only playing hide and seek had entirely vanished.

My Seaweed Brain was gone; the only person who gives me the will to live after everything I've lost; the person who was always there for me during the hard times. The person I was in love with. And what's worse: I had no idea where he was. I just lost another person close to me.

But I was determined to get him back again, no matter what the cost. Besides, he'd come back. He always does. If not, I'll find his sorry butt and kick it so hard that he'd be crying for his mother. It has to be true though, him coming back to me – I trust him. Though I'm certain the gods have taken him, I'm also certain that Percy will try his best to find me again, just like I will. I'll try my best, just like how he's always done for me.

* * *

><p><strong>I'll make sure to update Pirates as soon as I can! And then I'll get to Virtual World. Right now - stupid French quiz Dx<br>There's an English quiz too, but at least _that's _fun.  
>Anyways, check out my deviantart profile if you've got the time! The link's on my FF profile ;)<br>- Nuggets**

**Review, review, review!**


End file.
